The Life of Ely

by Jason L. McWhirter

  The peg board was even more difficult. You held two wooden pegs in your hands and the goal was to climb a wooden board bolted in the wall by sticking the pegs in the holes that were drilled into the wood. The board went up ten feet and was a great way to help the wrestlers work on building arm strength and, more importantly, grip strength. Ely couldn’t do the peg board either, but he wasn’t alone there. Some of the kids really struggled with the board and some even got hurt. If you leaned back too far, the peg might slip out and hit you in the face, or worse, you might fall if you lacked the strength to hang on. On the other hand, some kids could easily climb the board, up and down, ten times. Again, Jeff was one of those who could. In fact, at times he would discard the peg and just use his fingers to climb the board, inserting two in at a time as he progressed up the board. That took immense finger, grip, and upper body strength and very few could do it. Jeff was built like a wrestler. He had dense sinewy muscles, muscles that looked like they were constantly pumped up and ready to explode into action.

  Ely sat with Jeff, John, and Cisco as they stretched their muscles and prepared for the first practice. Mr. Seljin and his assistant coach, Pat Jackson, sat off to the side going over the practice schedule. Ely had never met Mr. Jackson before, but Jeff said he was a good guy. He was the assistant coach last year and all the kids seemed to like him. It turned out he had wrestled for Peninsula fifteen years ago and now he sold real estate for a living. Jeff said he had placed third in state his senior year and he was pretty knowledgeable about the sport. Of course Jeff took fourth his freshman year, second his sophomore year, and was in position to win the state title his junior and senior years. Ely halfheartedly suggested that he should be coaching, but Jeff said it took much more than just talent to coach a winning team. Ely wasn’t so sure, but he figured he would see what Jeff meant soon enough.

  Adam walked by the group as they were talking quietly. “Hey, who dragged in the trailer trash?” he asked, laughing as he sat on the mat nearby.

  “Something stinks around here,” Cisco said casually, ignoring Adam’s comment.

  “Yeah, what could it be?” Jeff said, playing along.

  “I think it’s an asshole,” John said, sniffing disgustedly. “Yup, it’s definitely an asshole.”

  They all turned to look at Adam and he just looked away with a sneer, choosing to ignore them.

  “Don’t worry, Ely,” Jeff said, “he’s still a jerk. He hasn’t changed much.”

  “Other than the fact that he is now a muscle-bound monster,” Ely whispered so Adam couldn’t overhear him.

  “You got that right. Good genetics I guess, but he’s lazy as hell,” John added.

  “Try not to worry about him,” Cisco said. “He’s not that good. He’s more intimidating than anything.”

  Suddenly the whistle blew and Sel ordered everyone to get moving. “Alright everyone, weight line. Hustle up!”

  All the wrestlers jumped to attention and scattered to various spots along the wall, trying to find which weight they best fit into. The new high school weight classes went from one hundred and six pounds all the weigh up to two hundred and eighty five pounds. Ely went to the end of the line behind Adam and another big kid named Sawyer. Ely had never met him but he seemed friendly enough. Jeff was sitting at the front of the one hundred and fifty two pound line, while Cisco was leading the two hundred and twenty pound line and John was first in line at the one hundred and seventy pound class. Even though there had not been any challenges yet, the veterans knew the pecking order for now, at least until the real order could be determined by challenges.

  Sel and coach Jackson stood before them.

  Sel looked at everyone intently before he spoke. “Thank you all for being here. I feel very privileged to be a part of this program. Many of you know me and you know how I work. Some of you don’t, and you will find out soon enough. Just remember; respect, honesty, commitment, and hard work are all I’m asking for. I don’t want you to have any illusions. This will be the toughest thing you have ever done. We will start at three o’clock sharp and end at five every day. We will have tournaments or practice every Saturday without fail, and the weekend practices will go from eight to noon. You will think wrestling, sleep wrestling, and eat wrestling for the next three months. The only thing that you will put before wrestling is your family and school, and they will be in that order. I don’t care who you are, how good you are, or how good you aren’t, you’re a part of this team and you’ll be required to meet several criteria. One, you’ll work hard on and off the mat and you will meet the required two point GPA to wrestle. If you need help in school then I will find a way to help you succeed. I will not lose anyone because of laziness. Two, you will be required to meet certain standards outside of school. You must be a positive part of this community and you’ll respect your classmates, your teachers, and your family. If anyone of you gets in trouble during the season you will wish you hadn’t. I’ll tell you right now, no one gets special privileges. I don’t care whether we win or lose as long as we all put one hundred and ten percent effort in life and on the mat. If we do that, losing will not even be an option because you’ve already won. If you push yourself as an individual then you will be successful, and that means we will be successful. Every one of you is a link in the Seahawk chain. You all must do your part. If everyone standing in front of me does that, then I believe that we will have a championship team. Now, let’s warm up!”

  Everyone cheered and snapped to attention. Ely felt like he had just heard Mel Gibson’s speech in Braveheart and he had to admit that he was already feeling proud to be a part of the program.

  ***

  Ely was pretty nervous. The junior varsity kids, including Ely, were finishing up their last matches and people were now starting to trickle in to watch the varsity match. Being the heaviest wrestler meant that he was wrestling last, which normally wouldn’t be that bad except there were now a lot more people sitting in the stands eagerly awaiting the start of the varsity match. More people watching meant more nervousness, which was something that Ely definitely didn’t need. This was his third match and he still hadn’t won one yet, but he did have to admit that he was getting better.

  Most of the varsity wrestlers were in the stands, suited up, and watching the JV matches. Soon, Sel would ask them to head into the locker room to begin mentally preparing themselves for their own matches. But for now, they were cheering on the JV kids, something that Sel always requested of them. He believed that an entire team’s success was dependent on everyone, and that the varsity would not be the varsity unless the junior varsity team hadn’t constantly pushed them. Every week it was possible for a varsity wrestler to be dethroned, to be beaten in challenges by someone who had improved and worked harder. Therefore no position was safe and the only thing that kept you in the varsity lineup was skill, hard work, tenacity, and knowing that three other guys in your weight class wanted your job.

  Jeff and Cisco were next to Ely helping him warm up and get psyched. He had thirty seconds left before his match would start. Ely took off his headphones, releasing the strains of classical music through the tiny speakers.

  “How the hell can you get amped up listening to that crap?” Jeff laughed, fully aware of Ely’s passion for classical music.

  “It focuses my chi,” Ely quipped.

  “Whatever. Alright bud, just go out there and be tough. Don’t give up. Try not to even think about the end result. Just go out there and wrestle.”

  Cisco smacked Ely on the back as he took off his sweatshirt and put on his headgear. “You got this guy!”

  Ely nodded his head to both of them as the buzzer rang, ending the match. “I got this guy!” He yelled over the cheers, trying to sound more confident than he really was.

  Ely jumped up and down a few times trying to shake out the nerves. His two hundred and fifty pound frame was still covered with an abundance of fat but he was starting to look a little tighter as some of it, through practice and t
raining, had been converted to muscle. But he still had a long way to go to look good in a singlet.

  Ely walked toward the mat and Mr. Seljin stopped him at the corner. “Remember what I said. Don’t think about winning or losing. Just go out there and wrestle as hard as you can. That’s all I ask and that’s all you should ask of yourself.”

  Ely smiled inwardly thinking that Sel’s speech sounded an awful lot like Jeff’s. He had a feeling that Jeff had probably often heard those same words from Sel and was now just repeating them to him. “Okay,” was all Ely said in return.

  Ely walked out to the center of the mat where his opponent was waiting for him. The guy was as big as Ely, with muscular arms, short powerful looking legs, and a round barrel chested torso. He looked like a football player, but then again, all the kids he wrestled looked like football players; probably because most of them were.

  Instead of thinking about how big the guy looked, Ely tried to focus on what moves he was going to do first, anything to take his mind away from the butterflies doing aerial stunts in his stomach.

  They shook hands and the whistle blew.

  In the stands, Ely’s parents watched intently as Ely began to circle his opponent. Mary gripped the edge of the bleacher as she sat nervously watching her son. Beside her Bill sat scowling, clearly not impressed and showing no sign of enthusiasm or support for his son. Mary had talked him into going and he had made it very clear that he would rather be at home watching television with a beer in hand. His scruffy face and unkempt clothing reflected his foul mood. Mary didn’t take her eyes off of Ely as both wrestlers moved about the mat, trying to find an opening.

  Nonchalantly, Bill pulled out a flask from his coat and poured some of the golden liquid into a travel mug he had brought with him, presumably filled with coffee. But no one noticed as all eyes were on the match.

  Ely’s opponent moved in fast and strong, grabbing Ely in a tie up and shaking him around. He couldn’t believe how powerful the kid was. It felt like he was being held by two pythons, and they were beginning to squeeze even harder. Ely frantically got a hand inside the kids arm, trying to fight for control, and as his opponent loosened up his grip, hoping to readjust, Ely used that hand to desperately push away from him.

  Ely only had a few seconds before the guy quickly moved in again for another tie up. This time Ely tried one of the few moves he actually could do well, a head and arm. But his opponent saw it coming and ducked under Ely’s arm, spinning around Ely and throwing him to the mat for a two point takedown. Ely’s head hit the mat hard.

  “Oh, my poor baby,” Mary cried softly as she saw her son’s head violently bounce off the mat.

  Bill shook his head, making no attempt to mask his disappointment. “Pussy,” he whispered disdainfully, taking another long sip from his mug.

  Mr. Seljin was on his knees at the edge of the mat yelling encouragement. “Come on, Ely! Keep your head up!”

  Jeff and Cisco were behind him cheering as well.

  “Come on, Ely!” Jeff yelled. “Get out of there! Get to your base!”

  “Let’s go, Ely!” yelled Cisco in encouragement. “Get up! Explode off that mat!”

  Ely struggled under the weight of his opponent. On top of that, he was also strong, and obviously knew what he was doing. It took him a few moments but finally Ely was able to get one leg under him and push upward with his arms, allowing him to get to his base. That was the goal of the down wrestler, to get on their hands and knees, and from there to work towards an escape or reversal. His opponent immediately leaped to the side, making his first mistake by trying a half nelson while Ely was on all fours. As soon as Ely felt the weight leave his back, he did what he had learned, hoping it would work. He posted his right leg out, pivoted his weight over it, and stood up. Sure enough, within seconds he was standing, and another second later he had stepped away and turned into his opponent, freeing himself and gaining one point for an escape.

  The score was now two to one.

  “Nice job, Ely!” Jeff yelled, smacking Cisco enthusiastically on the back.

  “It’s two to one!” Cisco shouted to Jeff. “Come on buddy…you got this guy!”

  In the bleachers Mary was clapping her hands in excitement. “Look, Bill, he just got a point.”

  “He’s still losing. Shit, Mary, why are you happy with that?” Bill asked, clearly unimpressed with Ely’s progress. This time he caught the attention of a few people sitting nearby who gave him a puzzled look, wondering if they had heard him correctly.

  Mary looked at him briefly, her excitement quickly extinguished by her husband’s negativity. But she didn’t say anything, knowing full well that it would just make things worse.

  But Ely’s teammates were on the edge of their seats, yelling encouragement as Mr. Seljin paced with excitement in front of the mat.

  “Go after him!” Sel yelled. “Arm drag him!”

  On the mat, the two big wrestlers tied up again.

  “Hit it now!” Sel yelled again. “Arm drag!”

  Ely heard Sel yell at him and he fought to gain some wrist control. Finally, just for a second, he was able to grab and hold onto the guy’s left wrist. He had worked on this move hundreds of times with Cisco, and although he was not an expert at it, he considered it one of his favorites. As soon as he grabbed the kid’s wrist, he released his hold on the guy’s neck with his left hand, pivoted his body to the side, grabbed the kid’s arm around his tricep with his free hand, and leaned back hard, pulling that arm down and forcing his opponent to stumble forward and fall down onto the mat. As soon as he smacked into the mat, Ely spun around for control, gaining two points for a takedown.

  The score was now three to one, and Ely was actually winning.

  “Nice job!” Sel shouted as he leaped into the air in excitement. “Textbook arm drag!” he yelled to all the kids behind him, many of whom were screaming just as loud as he was.

  “Yes!” Jeff shouted to Cisco. “He’s winning three to two.”

  “He might win this one!” Cisco yelled back.

  The two wrestlers rolled around for a few short moments before the buzzer signaled the end of round one.

  Both wrestlers got up and the referee approached Ely and asked him his choice for round two. Ely, who was trying desperately to catch his breath, glanced over at Mr. Seljin who quickly indicated for him to defer the choice. So that is what he did.

  The other wrestler picked the top position, probably hoping he could use his strength and weight to pin Ely. Once the referee gave Ely the okay to get into referee’s position, on all fours in the middle of the mat, it was only a few seconds later before his opponent was on top of him and the whistle blew, starting round two. In the split second before the whistle blew, Ely glanced quickly at Mr. Seljin who gave him a you can do it nod. Then, at the sound of the whistle, they both exploded into action.

  Both wrestlers maneuvered around the mat for a while, neither getting the upper hand. Finally, Ely was able to get his legs under him and stand up again, earning a one point escape.

  The score was now four to two.

  The next minute was filled with lots of tie ups and half executed moves as both wrestlers began to tire and try to catch their breath. It was obvious that they were tired since they spent more than a handful of seconds tied up, leaning into each other as they both sucked in desperately needed oxygen.

  Then the buzzer rang ending round two.

  Ely picked the down position hoping that he could ride out his win for the third round. But just as Ely got into position, his opponent showed the referee that he was going to let Ely up, then he placed both his hands on Ely’s back in a diamond position.

  “Shit, he’s going to let him up and try to throw him,” Jeff said to Cisco.

  Sel realized it too and yelled at Ely, “Watch the head and arm! He’s going to try and throw you!”

  Ely nodded his head at Sel but it was pretty obvious that he was exhausted and not really registering what they were sayin
g. The buzzer rang and his opponent immediately jumped back, letting Ely stand up to his feet and face him. Ely was awarded one point just before the guy lunged in and grabbed Ely in a vicious tie up. They held the tie up for a while, circling each other, and leaning into each other as they tried to regain their energy and maneuver for a move at the same time.

  “Watch for the head and arm!” Sel yelled again.

  Just as he shouted his warning, the kid positioned himself differently, leaning into him and pushing Ely’s head up.

  “He’s going for it, Ely!” Sel yelled again. “Look out!”

  “Oh no, he’s setting up the head and arm,” Jeff said through clenched teeth as he nervously clutched Cisco’s arm.

  “He’s too tired. I don’t think he sees it coming,” Cisco moaned.

  In reaction to the kid’s sudden position change, Ely did just what his opponent wanted…he pushed back hard, allowing Ely’s opponent to set the move up perfectly and use his momentum against him by turning his body and throwing Ely in a head and arm. If you blinked you would have missed the move.

  Ely was flying through the air before he realized what had happened. He landed hard on his back and felt the guy’s python like arms tighten around his arm and neck. Ely frantically kicked his feet and used his hand to try and break the kid’s hold on him. But his opponent was too strong.

  The kid squeezed hard and settled his two hundred and forty pound body right on top of his chest. Ely couldn’t breathe and he could feel his face turn red as he frantically fought for a way to free himself from his predicament. He could feel his shoulder blade inch closer to the mat and despite his efforts he couldn’t stop its downward descent. His vision swam as he desperately tried to breathe. He was so tired that his oxygen depleted brain didn’t even register the feeling of his shoulder blade touching the mat.